When the NBA schedule came out, it was clear immediately that a former Cleveland Cavaliers forward was going to get to face his former team in their first game of the season.
And no, we’re not talking about LeBron James, although that is true on Thursday night when the Philadelphia 76ers host the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s also the case for Dean Wade, who directly left the Cavs this offseason to sign a contract with Philly.
James will be on the court trying to lead the 76ers to a 2-0 start. They won their opener on Tuesday in Madison Square Garden, spoiling Ring Night for the New York Knicks.
The Cavs, though, haven’t opened the season yet — so this is game one for Cleveland, which has Peyton Watson added to the starting lineup in a spot Wade often held.
An interesting subplot, though, is the fact that Wade was far from a sure thing to be playing.
Cavs fans who turn the game on will see Wade on the sideline. In the lead up to the game, it wasn’t clear whether Wade would actually be on the court.
Is Dean Wade Playing Tonight?
Update: Dean Wade was officially ruled out.
Dean Wade wasn’t a sure thing to be playing on Thursday night for the 76ers against the Cavs because he’s injured.
He didn’t play against the Knicks on Tuesday, and his status was in doubt heading into Thursday night.
Wade was injured in the 76ers’ final preseason game against the Boston Celtics. He hurt his ankle.
He was initially listed as questionable before being ruled out on Tuesday night.
That’s the same case on Thursday, with Wade’s availability holding as questionable on the NBA’s official injury report well into the afternoon. It seemed like the 76ers were waiting to make a game-time decision.
Why Did Dean Wade Leave Cavs?
The Cavs couldn’t afford to pay Wade this offseason.
Cleveland has been dealing with the second apron, which is the most prohibitive sector of the salary cap to exist in. It limits a lot of moves that any team not in the second apron is able to make.
That means that Wade had a better chance of landing a legitimate free agent contract elsewhere.
He found that with the 76ers, with whom he signed a four-year, $38.7 million contract in July. He signed on the first day he was officially eligible to sign, July 6, after the deal had already been reported days earlier.
Philadelphia had clearly made Wade a priority, giving him a solid payday to join them.
Wade won’t be a starter on a regular basis for the 76ers, but he has defensive ability and a solid outside shot that can fit on a team with a lot of star offensive players.
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